Surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME): a review of the literature

Transverse maxillary hypoplasia, in adolescents and adults, is frequently seen in non-syndromal and syndromal patients including cleft patients. In skeletally matured patients, the uni- or bilateral transverse hypoplasia can be corrected by means of a surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion. The treatment is a combination of orthodontics and surgical procedures and provides dental arch space for alignment of teeth. The procedure also causes a substantial enlargement of the maxillary apical base and of the palatal vault, providing space for the tongue for correct swallowing and thus preventing relapse. In addition, a distinct subjective improvement in nasal breathing associated with enlargement of the nasal valve towards normal values is seen with an increase of nasal volume in all compartments. In this article we give a review on surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion. We conclude that there is no consensus in the searched literature regarding either the surgical technique, the type of distractor used (tooth-borne or bone-borne), the existence, cause and amount of relapse and whether or not overcorrection is necessary. A proposal for a prospective randomized patient study in order to find answers to the lacunas in knowledge regarding this treatment is done.